DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS 2000 NAVY PENTAGON WASHINGTON, DC 20350-2000 OPNAVINST 6470.3B N4 OPNAV INSTRUCTION 6470.3B From: Chief of Naval Operations Subj: NAVAL RADIATION SAFETY COMMITTEE Ref: (a) E.O. 12344 (b) SECNAVINST 5100.10K 1. Purpose. To establish the Naval Radiation Safety Committee (NRSC) and identify the responsibilities associated with its regulation of the use of radioactive materials within the Navy and Marine Corps. This instruction is being reissued with a new date, updated version and signature authority to meet Chief of Naval Operations age requirement for Office of the Chief of Naval Operations instructions. 2. Cancellation. OPNAVINST 6470.3A. 3. Scope. This instruction applies to all Navy and Marine Corps activities engaged in the use of Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regulated byproduct material, special nuclear material, source material, and naturally occurring or accelerator-produced radioactive material. It does not apply to radioactive materials transferred from the Department of Energy to the Department of Defense per section 91B of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954. Nor does it apply to radioactive materials produced as a consequence of the construction, operation, servicing, or maintenance of naval nuclear propulsion plants, per reference (a). 4. Discussion. The Department of the Navy (DON) has been delegated by the NRC, through the issuance of a master materials license, regulatory authority for the receipt, possession, distribution, use, transportation, transfer, and disposal of radioactive material from Navy and Marine Corps activities. The NRSC is established to provide administrative control of radioactive material used in the Navy and Marine Corps with the exception of radioactive material used in nuclear propulsion, nuclear weapons, and certain components of weapons delivery systems. OPNAV 6470/1 Naval Radioactive Materials Permit is utilized to maintain such control.
5. Membership. The NRSC must consist of: a. Chair. Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Energy and Environmental Readiness Division (OPNAV (N45)). b. Executive Secretary. Radiation health officer ((Navy officer billet classification (NOBC) (0845)) assigned as Head, Radiological Controls and Health Branch (OPNAV (N455)) and experienced radiation safety program manager. c. Representative from Office of the Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps. Radiation health officer (NOBC 0845), and experienced radiation safety program manager. d. Representative from the Chief, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED). Radiation health officer (NOBC 0845), and experienced radiation safety program manager. e. Representative from the Commander, Naval Sea Systems Command (COMNAVSEASYSCOM). Radiation health officer (NOBC 0845), and experienced radiation safety program manager. f. Chair Invited Ad Hoc Participants. Expert in health physics, legal, medical, medical physics, radiobiology, radiopharmacy, engineering, radiography, or other professional areas. 6. Technical Support Centers. The Naval Sea Systems Command Detachment, Radiological Affairs Support Office (NAVSEADET RASO), and the Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center (NAVMCPUBHLTHCEN) must serve as technical support centers for the NRSC. 7. Responsibilities a. The NRSC acting for the Chief of Naval Operations must: (1) Manage and oversee the Navy's master material license of broad scope. (2) Maintain records under this license. (3) Review OPNAV 6470/1s and recommend action to be taken by the chair or his or her designated representative. 2
(4) Meet on at least a quarterly basis to review the activities of the executive secretary. (5) Ensure inspections are conducted to assess compliance with the provisions of the NRC license, NRC regulations, and of the specific OPNAV 6470/1s. (6) Advise Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, Fleet Readiness and Logistics (CNO (N4)) of all non-compliance items with severity levels 1, 2 and 3. (7) Provide copies of active OPNAV 6470/1s to the NRC. (8) Establish policies for the control, use, acquisition, and accountability of byproduct, source, and special nuclear material. (9) Monitor the performance of the technical support centers and the executive secretary, and the performance of audits on the implementation of the radiation safety program. (10) Advise the chair of the results of the audits and program reviews. (11) Ensure that permitting and inspection staff is appropriately qualified. (12) Maintain a current list of quantities, uses, and locations where OPNAV 6470/1 controlled radioactive material is received, possessed, used, or stored. (13) Establish enforcement policies and procedures. (14) Establish technical ad hoc committees to extend staff capabilities for unique or technically complex problems. b. The executive secretary of the NRSC must: (1) Be responsible for conducting day-to-day operations and issuing OPNAV 6470/1s approved by the chair, NRSC. (2) Serve as the primary point of contact between the DON and NRC for matters covered by this instruction. 3
(3) Inform the NRSC and the chair regarding the status of the radiation safety program. (4) Implement the NRSC's enforcement sanctions. (5) Stop work activities that may pose undue radiological risk or hazard, or may violate conditions of the master material license or the NRC regulations. c. Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps must: (1) Coordinate with respect to matters of mutual concern as delineated in reference (b). (2) Appoint a permanent member to the NRSC. (3) Issue instructions and guidance to Marine Corps activities concerning procedures for obtaining or amending an OPNAV 6470/1. (4) In coordination with NAVSEADET RASO, provide technical guidance to Marine Corps activities concerning their radiation safety programs. (5) Ensure adequate resources are provided to implement the Marine Corps radiation safety program. d. BUMED must: (1) Appoint a permanent member to the NRSC. (2) Issue instructions and guidance to medical commands concerning procedures for obtaining or amending an OPNAV 6470/1. (3) Provide management oversight of NAVMCPUBHLTHCEN concerning the use of OPNAV 6470/1 controlled radioactive material at medical commands. (4) Ensure adequate resources are provided to implement the radiation safety program. (5) Ensure adequate resources are provided for the training and continued qualification of technical support center personnel. 4
e. COMNAVSEASYSCOM must: (1) Appoint a permanent member to the NRSC. (2) Issue instructions and guidance to Navy and Marine Corps activities not under the control of BUMED concerning procedures for obtaining or amending an OPNAV 6470/1. (3) Provide management oversight of NAVSEADET RASO concerning the use of OPNAV 6470/1 controlled radioactive material at Navy and Marine Corps activities not under the control of BUMED. (4) Ensure adequate resources are provided to implement the radiation safety program. (5) Ensure adequate resources are provided for the training and continued qualification of technical support center personnel. f. Technical support centers must: (1) Provide guidance and technical assistance to Navy and Marine Corps activities in the preparation of requests for OPNAV 6470/1s. (2) Review OPNAV 6470/1 requests for completeness and compliance with current regulations. (3) Prepare OPNAV 6470/1s and forward to the executive secretary. (4) Perform inspections to assess compliance with current Navy and Federal regulations and provisions of the specific OPNAV 6470/1. (5) Prepare reports of non-compliance and forward them to the NRSC. (6) Investigate incidents per the requirements in the Navy master material license. (7) Review and analyze all radiological incidents and determine trends. 5
(8) Establish procedures to control the procurement and acquisition of radioactive material to ensure compliance with the master material license. g. Commanding officers and officers in charge must: (1) Ensure the command obtains an OPNAV 6470/1 as necessary, prior to receipt, possession, or use of radioactive materials identified in paragraph 3. (2) Provide management oversight of the radioactive materials controlled under OPNAV 6470/1s and radiation protection and safety programs at the command, and ensure adequate resources and qualified personnel are available. (3) Comply with the conditions of specific OPNAV 6470/1s. (4) Comply with instructions concerning the safe receipt, possession, distribution, use, transportation, transfer, and disposal of radioactive material. (5) Establish and maintain an effective radiation safety program. (6) Review radiological incidents within their commands. Identify and recommend corrective actions to the NRSC. 8. Action. Navy and Marine Corps activities using OPNAV 6470/1 controlled radioactive material must: a. Operate under conditions specified in applicable OPNAV 6470/1. b. Coordinate all questions or reports concerning radioactive material use with the NRSC through the appropriate technical support center. c. Submit all requests for changes or amendments to OPNAV 6470/1s to the NRSC, via chain of command and appropriate technical support center, per instructions issued by COMNAVSEASYSCOM or BUMED. 6
d. Not directly communicate to the NRSC or the NRC, except when direct communication is required to protect human life or prevent environmental harm. 9. Records Management. Records created as a result of this instruction, regardless of media and format, must be managed per Secretary of the Navy Manual 5210.1 of January 2012. 10. Form. OPNAV 6470/1 Naval Radioactive Materials Permit is available for download from Naval Forms Online: https://navalforms.documentservices.dla.mil/web/public/home. P. H. CULLOM Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Fleet Readiness and Logistics) Distribution: Electronic only, via Department of the Navy Issuances Web site http://doni.documentservices.dla.mil 7